The Construction Industry Federation and its constituent member body, Irish Home Builders’ Association, have welcomed the publication of the draft National Planning Framework.
The National Planning Framework is the top tier of planning policy in Ireland and is critical to the provision of adequate housing.
Conor O’Connell, Director of Housing and Planning with the Construction Industry Federation, said: “The recent Housing Commission report, the ESRI Structural Housing Demand report and the draft National Planning Framework all acknowledge the need to plan for far more housing than previously envisaged.
“The draft National Planning Framework has stated that we need at least 50,000 homes per annum. To achieve this, we cannot continue with overly restrictive land zoning and servicing policies.
“We must provide adequate flexibility in our assessment of how much land to zone for residential development to cater for our growing population. There are currently too many issues preventing zoned land from being activated for residential development including inadequate services connected to the land, such as water and electricity.
CIF Director of Housing and Planning, Conor O’Connell
“Brownfield activation is especially challenging with a limited supply of capital willing to invest in apartment construction. Therefore, it is vital that there is not an over reliance on apartment delivery in the NPF or its application in local Development Plans.
“We urge that all Local Authorities, especially those in high demand areas, commence the process of reviewing their development plans to ensure there is enough zoned and serviced land available for housing supply.
“Without an adequate supply of zoned land with services and planning permissions in place, we simply will not supply enough housing.
“We must rezone all lands that were dezoned in previous development plans, particularly in areas of high demand and near transport corridors. Our utility providers and transportation providers must move to a plan led rather than demand led approach that caters for current and future housing demand, rather than building just in time.”
Conor O’Connell added: “We are concerned that there is simply not enough capital allocated to the provision of water and wastewater services in Ireland. Our members consistently report significant delays in the advancement of infrastructural works to enable housing developments.
“It is essential for housing provision that utilities such as water and electricity are planned for concurrently, as we cannot build houses without vital infrastructure connections in place.
“It is therefore vital that adequate funding is allocated for utilities and transport, so we can build 50,000 units per year.”
